Rescuing Christmas: Holiday Haven / Home for Christmas / A Puppy for Will. Kathie DeNosky

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       CHAPTER FOUR

      TANSY SOMETIMES FORGOT people, but she never forgot an animal, especially when that animal was connected to tragedy. Now she remembered why Ben was familiar. He’d been the sobbing teenager who’d brought his one-eyed orange tabby to the vet’s office where she’d volunteered after school.

      But she didn’t think he’d appreciate knowing that she’d been the sixteen-year-old girl who’d held him while he cried that day, so she kept the information to herself. After she got home, she’d looked for him in her high school yearbook, but he hadn’t been there. He’d slipped in and out of her life without a trace.

      And now, twelve years later, here he was sitting right next to her. Max continued to attach himself to Ben’s lap as if Velcroed to his jeans, while Tansy went back to exclaiming over the still shots. When they finished with those, Ben propped the camcorder on her desk and shared the videos he’d taken.

      Although they both behaved as if nothing had changed, everything had changed for Tansy. The pieces of the puzzle that made up an image of Ben Rhodes were coming together. He’d said Mickey died at ten, so he’d likely had the cat since he was a young boy. Judging from the depth of his grief that day, Tansy suspected Mickey had been the only pet and possibly the best friend of a lonely boy.

      After Mickey had taken his last breath, Ben had charged out the door, his face contorted with pain. Days later an envelope stuffed with cash had arrived at the vet’s office, along with a scrawled note of thanks. The vet had shown both to Tansy, but there was no return address, no phone number, no contact information at all.

      With their unconditional love and devotion, it was easy for animals to become a person’s lifeline. If Mickey had been that for Ben, she could understand why Ben might have decided that loving an animal made him too vulnerable. She understood, but it made her sad.

      She felt especially sad when she looked at Max, who acted as if he’d finally found his soul mate. As he sat contentedly purring on Ben’s lap, he wasn’t the same cat who refused even the slightest caress from any of the other employees and volunteers. During a break in phone calls at reception, she asked Faye to come over and witness the miracle.

      Faye stared at Max in disbelief. “I’ll be damned. Ben, you must be a sorcerer. You should see what we go through when we have to bandage his tail and put on his cone.”

      “I guess there’s something familiar about me.”

      “I don’t think he responds to you simply because you’re a guy,” Faye said. “We’ve had other men volunteer at the shelter, and Max ignored them the way he ignores us.”

      “It could be the sound of his voice or the way he smells,” Tansy said.

      Ben laughed. “Must be the tuna fish oil I rub on after my shower.”

      “So that’s it.” Tansy grinned at him, and they were almost back to normal with each other. But she would always look at him differently now that she knew, or thought she knew, why he avoided bonding with animals.

      That decision was costing him, too, though she wasn’t sure he realized it. The way he interacted with animals revealed how much he hungered for the connection he denied himself out of fear. Yet she had no idea how to fix the situation.

      If she asked him to take Max home for the Christmas holidays, he probably would say no. On the other hand, what did she have to lose? She might as well find out exactly how rigid he was on this matter.

      The shelter phone line started ringing. “I need to answer that,” Faye said. “But don’t move. I want a picture of Max sitting on your lap. If I tell the others, they’ll think I’ve been smoking funny cigarettes.”

      Tansy and Ben finished up the videos before Faye reappeared, brandishing her camera phone. “I’m emailing this to a bunch of people who know how much of a grouch Max is.” She aimed the phone at the cat. “They’ll accuse me of using Photoshop.”

      Ben glanced at her. “He’s really never been on anybody’s lap? That’s so hard to believe.”

      “It’s as if he doesn’t trust us enough,” Tansy said. “We’ve tried playing with him, giving him treats, catnip, you name it. He tolerates us, but barely.”

      Faye took another picture with her phone. “Maybe he was just waiting for the right person to show up. None of us were the right person. You are.”

      “Unfortunately, I’m not—”

      “How about just for the Christmas holidays?” Tansy didn’t want to give him a chance to finish the sentence that would end all hope. “You heard my pitch at KFOR. There’s no expense other than some food and litter, and no obligation. If you could socialize Max, he would be more adoptable. You could help him find a true home.”

      Ben met her gaze. “I wish I could help you, but I can’t.”

      Anger stirred in her. “You mean you won’t.”

      “All right. I won’t.” Gripping Max firmly, he pried the cat from his thigh and set him on the floor. When Max crouched as if ready to spring back into his lap, he quickly stood. Max rubbed against the leg of his jeans and continued to purr.

      It broke Tansy’s heart. She stood and faced him. “Can’t you see how much he wants to be with you?”

      Ben lowered his voice. “Sorry, Tansy, but I’m not taking Max home with me. I don’t want an animal in my house, and besides, I have plans. I’m going skiing with friends over Christmas.”

      Faye suddenly found chores to handle at her desk.

      Taking a deep breath, Tansy curbed her anger. Having an animal did complicate travel plans. No denying it. But animal lovers usually decided the rewards were worth the bother.

      Clearly, Ben didn’t feel that way, and no good would come of challenging his attitude. He’d spent the morning taking pictures that might help several animals be adopted. Sure, he’d been paid to do it, but he’d thrown himself into the project, and because of his enthusiasm he’d come up with some wonderful shots.

      She cleared her throat. “You’re right. Sorry. It’s never a good idea to coerce a person into taking an animal, even if it’s only for a trial period.”

      “No, it’s not.”

      Doing her best to ignore Max’s desperate bid for attention from his idol, Tansy focused on the business at hand. “Your pictures are fabulous. I know the station owns them, but if they’d be willing to let me use a few for The Haven’s Facebook page, I’d be very grateful.”

      “I’ll check with Paul.” Ben put on his sheepskin coat. “I’m sure you can work something out.”

      She turned back to her desk and retrieved his hat. “I’d appreciate СКАЧАТЬ